Distributer for the 100th time !!!

F

Franko Ford Germany

Junior Member
Hello Ford Model A drivers,

I'm Frank from Germany near Hanover. A brief introduction to myself. I've been restoring and repairing all kinds of classic cars for 40 years. So far, up to 1955. Now the Ford Model A has joined the ranks. That's why I signed up for your forum. I have to say, I haven't found so many real professionals in any other forum. So, first of all, thank you very much to everyone. I've learned a lot of very specific things about the Ford Model A. My English isn't the best, so I use a translator; I hope my posts are understandable. The 1930 Ford Model A doesn't belong to me, but to a good friend. The task was to build the Model A so that it's easy to drive!

Now to the actual topic: the distributor, a recurring theme here. I've been using the 123 Igniton distributors for a long time; these things can do pretty much anything. Unfortunately, they're not available for the Model A. So I took a standard 123 Type C distributor and adapted it. One more thing in advance... Apologies to the originality fanatics. It looks a bit different. But the engine runs perfectly in all situations.

Rough explanation: Something needs to be removed from the distributor housing on the lathe, and then the shaft of the old distributor needs to be turned. I hope the pictures and videos are informative. As I said, the distributor is the all-in-one solution for me, but I find the "spark plug blanching" feature most important.

I found a 123 dealership through you, I think Ohio.
They make a good impression from here.

What surprises me is:
There are suitable 123 distributors for almost every VW Beetle. In Germany, there are currently around 40,000 VW Beetles left on the roads, and more than 20 million were produced.

The Ford Model A was built approximately 4.5 million times, and there are said to be well over 250,000 still on the road? Is that correct? And why isn't there a suitable 123 distributor?

Maybe this will help someone.

Here my Video link? ....sorry, i´m not allowed to yet...:verwirrt: , ok, i´m new

can be found on Youtube with Ford Model A 123 Ignition



Greetings from Germany, Frank

Ignition distributor from 2025, all-in-one solution? "Maybe"
 

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Interesting...id still like to see your video when your able to post it if you would. I am a purest but at this point I'm ready to upgrade a little. ill just keep a picture in the car of how the motor looked originally just for interested party's. Thanks Franko good info!
 
It looks like the original style winged distributor housing could be used with some sort of adapter. I am assuming that the advance curve could be modified for an engine with a higher compression head.
 
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Franko, cool diagnostic hardware and software. Looks like 32 degrees max advance on the tablet read out.
 
nkaminar said:
It looks like the original style winged distributor house could be used with some sort of adapter. I am assuming that the advance curve could be modified for an engine with a higher compression head.
Click to expand...

Yes, all ignition timings between 500 and 8000 rpm can be selected.

If the spaces are removed here, the instructions are...

https:// 123ignition.com/support/

Regarding your second comment: That was also my idea, to install the electronics in the original distributor housing. Space-wise, it should be possible, but it would require a bit more work on the lathe. What stopped me is that the manufacturer of the 123 ignition distributor states that it requires ignition cables without a copper core!! So, it could be that the magnetic fields of the original copper strips are interfering with the electronics.
That would be worth trying, but it remains a risk.

The possibilities are even more diverse; the vacuum advance curve can be used to program the ignition timing to advance or retard it.

The Ford engine doesn't rev quickly, and currently, the ignition timing is adjusted as the rpm increases. With the vacuum advance curve, you could advance the ignition timing when the throttle valve opens. This would "pull" the engine from the ignition timing. However, this isn't a must.
Unfortunately, I don't have a connection on the carburetor manifold, so I couldn't implement this.
 
AzBob said:
Franko, cool diagnostic hardware and software. Looks like 32 degrees max advance on the tablet read out.
Click to expand...

Yes, almost everything can be adjusted. The displays for temperature, volts, and ignition coil amps are also nice. As an added bonus, there's even an immobilizer with code entry.
 
Welcome to the Barn!

"Unfortunately, I don't have a connection on the carburetor manifold, so I couldn't implement this."

There is a vacuum port on the side of the manifold for wipers, don't know if that will work for you in this application.

Mike
 
You need a distributor that turns counter clockwise. There is one English Ford engine that has this maybe thev1600. My personal choice is the Mean's Garage Super B+ points style distributor.
 
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butch chase said:
You need a distributor that turns counter clockwise. There is one English Ford engine that has this maybe thev1600. My personal choice is the Mean's Garage Super B+ points style distributor.
Click to expand...

...yes, that's also a solution for the distributor, if only because it's almost ready to install. My version is much more difficult to install and modify. But it does rotate counterclockwise, of course, and works with 6 volts and 12 volts. Ground can also be positive or negative.
 
Here is another thought. Depending on the carb you are running, how about a spacer with a vacuum port in it?

Mike
 
1930artdeco said:
Here is another thought. Depending on the carb you are running, how about a spacer with a vacuum port in it?

Mike
Click to expand...


...that's basically a good idea, but then the angle and distance for the choke might not be right. You could remove the intake manifold and drill it...but our Model A runs absolutely great as it is, so I'll leave that alone for now.
 
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